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Alexander’s Empire
MAIN IDEA
EMPIRE BUILDING Alexander the
Great conquered Persia and Egypt
and extended his empire to the
Indus River in northwest India.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW
Alexander’s empire extended
across an area that today
consists of many nations and
diverse cultures.
TERMS & NAMES
• Philip II
• Macedonia
• Alexander
the Great
• Darius III
SETTING THE STAGE The Peloponnesian War severely weakened several
Greek city-states. This caused a rapid decline in their military and economic power.
In the nearby kingdom of Macedonia, King Philip II took note. Philip dreamed of
taking control of Greece and then moving against Persia to seize its vast wealth.
Philip also hoped to avenge the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 B.C.
Philip Builds Macedonian Power
TAKING NOTES
Use the graphic organizer
online to take notes on
the growth of Alexander's
empire.
The kingdom of Macedonia, located just north of Greece,
MACEDONIA
had rough terrain and a cold climate. The Macedonians
were a hardy people who lived in mountain villages rather
Aegean
than city-states. Most Macedonian nobles thought of themSea
Athens
selves as Greeks. The Greeks, however, looked down on
the Macedonians as uncivilized foreigners who had no
great philosophers, sculptors, or writers. The Macedonians did have one very
important resource—their shrewd and fearless kings.
Philip’s Army In 359 B.C., Philip II became king of Macedonia. Though only 23
years old, he quickly proved to be a brilliant general and a ruthless politician.
Philip transformed the rugged peasants under his command into a well-trained
professional army. He organized his troops into phalanxes of 16 men across and
16 deep, each one armed with an 18-foot pike. Philip used this heavy phalanx
formation to break through enemy lines. Then he used fast-moving cavalry to
crush his disorganized opponents. After he employed these tactics successfully
against northern opponents, Philip began to prepare an invasion of Greece.
Conquest of Greece Demosthenes (dee•MAHS•thuh•NEEZ), the Athenian
orator, tried to warn the Greeks of the threat Philip and his army posed. He
urged them to unite against Philip. However, the Greek city-states could not
agree on any single policy. Finally, in 338 B.C., Athens and Thebes—a city-state
in central Greece—joined forces to fight Philip. By then, however, it was too
late. The Macedonians soundly defeated the Greeks at the battle of Chaeronea
(KAIR•uh•NEE•uh). This defeat ended Greek independence. The city-states
retained self-government in local affairs. However, Greece itself remained firmly
under the control of a succession of foreign powers—the first of which was
Philip’s Macedonia.
142 Chapter 5
Analyzing Causes
How did the
Peloponnesian War
pave the way for
Philip’s conquest of
Greece?
Although Philip planned to invade Persia next, he never
got the chance. At his daughter’s wedding in 336 b.c., he
was stabbed to death by a former guardsman. Philip’s
son Alexander immediately proclaimed himself king of
Macedonia. Because of his accomplishments over the next
13 years, he became known as Alexander the Great.
Alexander Defeats Persia
Although Alexander was only 20 years old when he became
king, he was well prepared to lead. Under Aristotle’s teaching, Alexander had learned science, geography, and literature.
Alexander especially enjoyed Homer’s description of the
heroic deeds performed by Achilles during the Trojan War. To
inspire himself, he kept a copy of the Iliad under his pillow.
As a young boy, Alexander learned to ride a horse, use
weapons, and command troops. Once he became king,
Alexander promptly demonstrated that his military training
had not been wasted. When the people of Thebes rebelled,
he destroyed the city. About 6,000 Thebans were killed. The
survivors were sold into slavery. Frightened by his cruelty, the
other Greek city-states quickly gave up any idea of rebellion.
Vocabulary
The Hellespont is
the ancient name
for the Dardanelles,
the narrow straits
that separate
Europe from Asia
Minor.
Alexander 356–323 b.c.
When Alexander was only eight or
nine years old, he tamed a wild
horse that none of his father’s
grooms could manage. Alexander
calmed the horse, whose name was
Bucephalus, by speaking gently.
Seeing the control that Alexander
had over the horse, Philip II said:
”You’ll have to find another kingdom;
Macedonia isn’t going to be big
enough for you.“
Alexander took his father’s advice.
Riding Bucephalus at the head of a
great army, he conquered the lands
from Greece to the Indus Valley.
When the horse died in what is now
Pakistan, Alexander named the city
of Bucephala after it. Maybe he was
tired of the name Alexandria. By that
time, he ha­­d already named at least
a dozen cities after himself!
Invasion of Persia With Greece now secure, Alexander
felt free to carry out his father’s plan to invade and conquer Persia. In 334 b.c., he led 35,000 soldiers across the
Hellespont into Anatolia. (See the map on page 144.)
Persian messengers raced along the Royal Road to spread
news of the invasion. An army of about 40,000 men rushed
to defend Persia. The two forces met at the Granicus River.
Instead of waiting for the Persians to make the first move,
Alexander ordered his cavalry to attack. Leading his troops
into battle, Alexander smashed the Persian defenses.
Alexander’s victory at Granicus alarmed the Persian
king, Darius III. Vowing to crush the invaders, he raised a
huge army of between 50,000 and 75,000 men to face the
Macedonians near Issus. Realizing that he was outnumbered,
Alexander surprised his enemies. He ordered his finest
troops to break through a weak point in the Persian lines. The army then charged
straight at Darius. To avoid capture, the frightened king fled, followed by his panicked army. This victory gave Alexander control over Anatolia.
Conquering the Persian Empire Shaken by his defeat, Darius tried to negotiate
a peace settlement. He offered Alexander all of his lands west of the Euphrates
River. Alexander’s advisers urged him to accept. However, the rapid collapse
of Persian resistance fired Alexander’s ambition. He rejected Darius’s offer and
confidently announced his plan to conquer the entire Persian Empire.
Alexander marched into Egypt, a Persian territory, in 332 b.c. The Egyptians
welcomed Alexander as a liberator. They crowned him pharaoh—or god-king.
During his time in Egypt, Alexander founded the city of Alexandria at the mouth
of the Nile. After leaving Egypt, Alexander moved east into Mesopotamia to confront Darius. The desperate Persian king assembled a force of some 250,000 men.
The two armies met at Gaugamela (gaw•guh•MEE•luh), a small village near the
ruins of ancient Nineveh. Alexander launched a massive phalanx attack ­followed
Classical Greece 143
by a cavalry charge. As the Persian lines crumbled, Darius again panicked and fled.
Alexander’s victory at Gaugamela ended Persia’s power.
Within a short time, Alexander’s army occupied Babylon, Susa, and Persepolis.
These cities yielded a huge treasure, which Alexander distributed among his army.
A few months after it was occupied, Persepolis, Persia’s royal capital, burned to the
ground. Some people said Alexander left the city in ashes to signal the total destruction of the Persian Empire. The Greek historian Arrian, writing about 500 years after
Alexander’s time, suggested that the fire was set in revenge for the Persian burning
of Athens. However, the cause of the fire remains a mystery.
Alexander’s Other Conquests
Alexander now reigned as the unchallenged ruler of southwest Asia. But he was
more interested in expanding his empire than in governing it. He left the ruined
Persepolis to pursue Darius and conquer Persia’s remote Asian provinces. Darius’s
trail led Alexander to a deserted spot south of the Caspian Sea. There he found
Darius already dead, murdered by one of his provincial governors. Rather than
return to Babylon, Alexander continued east. During the next three years, his army
fought its way across the desert wastes and mountains of Central Asia. He pushed
on, hoping to reach the farthest edge of the continent.
Alexander in India In 326 B.C., Alexander and his army reached the Indus Valley.
At the Hydaspes River, a powerful Indian army blocked their path. After winning
a fierce battle, Alexander’s soldiers marched some 200 miles farther, but their
morale was low. They had been fighting for 11 years and had marched more than
11,000 miles. They had endured both scorching deserts and drenching monsoon
rains. The exhausted soldiers yearned to go home. Bitterly disappointed, Alexander
agreed to turn back.
Analyzing Motives
Why did
Alexander continue
his conquests after
Darius was dead?
D
KU
U
.
T S 40°N
Aornos
(327)
Taxila
Hydaspes
(326)
.
AI Persepolis
NS
NT
.
IN
M
dus R
OU
S M
ARABIAN
DESERT
n
sia
Per ulf
G
l
144
Babylon
Alexandria D E S E R T O F
GEDROSIA
GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting Maps
Ni
eR
KINGDOM OF
SELEUCUS
Susa
RO
ZAG
NABATAEA
KINGDOM
OF
PTOLEMY
H
Gaugamela
(331)
Ecbatana
R.
Marakanda
SH
Bactra
.
Memphis
DESERT
tes
1,000 Kilometers
Alexandria
Eschate
MEDIA
ATROPATENE
Gaza
Alexandria
Siwah
ra
0
Bukhara
sR
Damascus
Tyre
ph
S.
Tigri
Mediterranean
Sea
LIBYAN
Eu
Cyprus
MT
1. Region Onto which continents did Alexander’s empire spread?
2. Place Which kingdoms succeeded the empire of Alexander the
Great after his death in 323 b.c.?
In
Crete
US
Sea
Aegean
Sea
Granicus
(334) Ancyra
Sardis
ARMENIA
KINGDOM OF
ANTIGONUS
TAU
Issus
RUS MTS.
(333)
Tarsus
AS
500 Miles
0
an
Thebes
Troy
UC
Alexander’s empire
at its height, 323 B.C.
Path of conquest
Major battle
spi
Hellespont
CA
Ca
Black S
ea
KINGDOM OF
LYSIMACHUS
PAPHLAGONIA
BITHYNIA
KINGDOM OF
CASSANDER
40°E
Alexander and His Successors, 336–300 B.C.
MAURYAN
EMPIRE
Tropic of Cancer
332 B.C.
Alexander entered Egypt and
founded the city of Alexandria.
ALEXANDER'S EMPIRE
MACEDONIA
PERSIA
326 B.C.
Alexander’s
army reached
the Indus
Valley.
334 B.C.
Alexander led 35,000
soldiers into Anatolia.
336 B.C.
Philip II was assassinated. Alexander
became king of Macedonia at age 20.
323 B.C.
Alexander died at
age 32. His
generals began a
power struggle.
EGYPT
323 B.C.
Ptolemy
became
governor
of Egypt.
306 B.C.
Antigonus I
312 B.C. became
king of
Seleucus
Macedonia.
took
most of
Persian
Empire.
By the spring of 323 B.C., Alexander and his army had reached Babylon. Restless
as always, Alexander announced plans to organize and unify his empire. He would
construct new cities, roads, and harbors and conquer Arabia. However, Alexander
never carried out his plans. He became seriously ill with a fever and died a few
days later. He was just 32 years old.
Alexander’s Legacy After Alexander died, his Macedonian generals fought
among themselves for control of his empire. Eventually, three ambitious leaders
won out. Antigonus (an•TIG•uh•nuhs) became king of Macedonia and took control
of the Greek city-states. Ptolemy (TAHL•uh•mee) seized Egypt, took the title of
pharaoh, and established a dynasty. Seleucus (sih•LOO•kuhs) took most of the
old Persian Empire, which became known as the Seleucid kingdom. Ignoring
the democratic traditions of the Greek polis, these rulers and their descendants
governed with complete power over their subjects.
Alexander’s conquests had an interesting cultural impact. Alexander himself
adopted Persian dress and customs and married a Persian woman. He included
Persians and people from other lands in his army. As time passed, Greek settlers
throughout the empire also adopted new ways. A vibrant new culture emerged from
the blend of Greek and Eastern customs.
Hypothesizing
Was the power
struggle that followed Alexander’s
death inevitable?
SECTION
4
ASSESSMENT
TERMS & NAMES 1. For each term or name, write a sentence explaining its significance.
• Philip II
• Macedonia
• Alexander the Great
• Darius III
USING YOUR NOTES
MAIN IDEAS
CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
2. Which of Alexander’s
3. How was Philip II able to
6. FORMING AND SUPPORTING OPINIONS Do you think that
conquests do you think was
the
most significant? Why?
Alexander's Empire
I. Philip Builds
Macedonian Power
A.
B.
II. Alexander
Conquers Persia
conquer Greece?
4. Philip II’s goal was to conquer
Persia. Why did Alexander
continue his campaign of
conquest after this goal had
been achieved?
5. What happened to Alexander’s
empire after his death?
Alexander was worthy of the title “Great”? Explain.
7. HYPOTHESIZING If Alexander had lived, do you think he
would have been as successful in ruling his empire as he
was in building it? Explain.
8. MAKING INFERENCES Why do you think Alexander
adopted Persian customs and included Persians in his
army?
In small groups, create
storyboards for a video presentation on the growth of
Alexander’s empire.
9. WRITING ACTIVITY EMPIRE BUILDING
CONNECT TO TODAY CREATING A MAP
Use atlases to find the modern countries that occupy the lands included in Alexander’s
empire. Create a map that shows the boundaries and names of these countries. Compare
your map to the map of Alexander’s empire on page 144.
Classical Greece 145